The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of electric seam-welded, continuous metal tubes and pipes and, more particularly, to a novel apparatus for removing the welding bead or flash produced from the internal surface of the tubes and pipes.
A known process for manufacturing electric seam-welded tubes and pipes from a strip or skelp includes forming the strip or skelp into a tubular form having an open seam; heating the longitudinal edges to fusion temperature; and forcing the heated edges together to produce a continuous, monolithic weld of the seam. In the manufacturing process, a certain amount of the abutting edges of the strip are squeezed both outwardly and inwardly along the longitudinal weld seam of the tubes and pipes resulting in a raised bead or flash. In many cases, the welding bead or flash must be evenly and accurately removed flush with the internal and external surfaces of the tubes and pipes to produce a viable commercial product.
The removal of the welding bead from the outside surface of the tubes and pipes is relatively simple and may be performed by any one of a number of conventional processes. However, the removal of the welding bead produced on the inner surface of the tubes and pipes is more difficult and raises problems that are particularly serious in the high-speed continuous production of welded tubes and pipes where it is desirable to remove the weld flash, while the flash is hot, in the production line during the manufacture of the welded tubes and pipes.
Many devices have been proposed in the past for removing the internal weld bead of the tubes and pipes during manufacture. It is known to provide a cutting tool mounted on a support head assembly located firmly on wheels and attached to the end of a rod positioned in the interior bore of the tubes and pipes. However, none of the structures of the known devices have proven to be completely satisfactory in overcoming the pressure exerted on the cutting tool when the tool is in engagement with the inner surface of the tubes and pipes.